Running-gear for trailers.



UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB KNAPIP, F CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SECHLEB, AND COMPANY,OF

I CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

RUN N ING-GEAR FOR TRAILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application led'Aprll 11, 1916. Serial No. 90,359.

'Toall whomz'lmay concern Be it known that I, JACOB KNAPP, a citizenof-thc United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in thecounty of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Running-Gears for Trailers, of which the followinis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, forming part of this specification. l My inventionrelates to trai er vehicles particularly of the type that are to bedrawn by motor vehicles. In such trailers more particularly than inother vehicles of the past, there must bc a Strength and durability tothe running gear which Will be suliicient to carry and steer the vehicleover rough roads at high speeds, as compared with all draw bar pulledvehicles of the past. In

various'other appications for patent, particularly SerialNo. 54,997,filed October 9, 191,5,1 have described draw bar mechanism operating ontheront/axle of a drawn or trailervehicle.A It is my object in thisapplication to show, describe and claim a mecha- Iii'sm which isV to beused for causing a drawn vehicle to move backward.

It is ivell known that running gear mechanism, such as described' in myapplication above referred to andto be-hereinafter noted,

is not eli'ective in both directions. That is to say, a pair of pivotaxle front wheels' which are steered by a draw bar mechanism pivoted onthe main front axle cannot be used for steering a drawn vehiclebackward. In a horse-drawn vehicle having pivot axlefront wheels,it vispossible to back out of a difplace. ,In such cases, however, the

horsel can be made to move sidewise without im @lling the vehicle eitherforward or back.,` ll'fhus the'horse is.caused tomove over toene "sideof the vehicle so asto turn the wheelsto theV proper an le and then heis backed to move the vehic e as desired.

In avehicle drawn by another vehicle such as an automobile, there is oWay of causing the motor vehicle to move Sidewise to the drawn vehicleWithout pulling the drawn vehicle, and thus there 4is no way ofVadjusting the front wheels ofthe drawn vehicle tothe proper-.position-:for backing Withol'ltmov-ng the drawn vehicle. backward.

( )f l(course ,if-there were) in anyfcase suilicicnt space for the motorvehicle to Apull the drawn ily-ihiurillcA forwardly :and 4to jockeyintoa.

'preparatory movements'.

Accordinglv it is the object ofthis invention to provide a mechanismwhich will permit of a motor vehicle drawing a trailer vehicle in eitherdirection, by means of a simple interchange of parts, thereby accomlishing l speedy and effective means of rawing such a vehicle backward.

This object I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the trailer vehicle..

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the draw bar attachment on a lar ervscale.

Fig. 3 is a vertica section, taken on the line 3,; 3, o`f Fig. 1'.v

The trailer vehicle has side frame pieces 1, l, and Vcross axles 2, 2,one in front and one in the back. The front Wheels 3, 3, and the rearwheels 4, 4, are ivoted on knuckles 3, 3, and 4*, 4, respectively attheends of the cross axles 2, 2. Y

Bent arms 5, 5, connect the two front wheels to the front connecting rod6 which lies behind the front cross axle 2,andat the rear like bent arms7, 7, connect the rear Wheels with a connectin rod 8 which lies underthe body of the ve icle from ther'rear cross axle. l i Mounted on thetwo axles rear andfront are bearing plates 9,'as shown and describedfully in In erred to. hese plates haveellipticalbear.- ing surfaces (notshown) andare secured former application above re.

on the axles by means o clips 10. 4These the bearing plates 9 i aref'Vplates 12 having. a suitable recessedmember V for seating over aconstricted central portion the upper side, on which is placed a- Washerplate 15. A pivot ,bo'lt- 16 asses through the plates 9 and 12 throughtlie bosses thereof and also through the axles del-stood that thestructure is t and rear. A Alike washer' plate itV being une same-frontvto the 'of the boss 11.- They haveV also a boss 14; on 10:5`

15 is placed beneath the axle, and extensions on each side of theseplates are connected by bolts 1T, thereby servin; r to hold the memberspivotally together and serving as an additional security to the mountingof the plate. 12.

Extending forwardly i'rom the plate 12 are two arms 18, 18, which arepivotally connected to the brace rods 19, 19, on each side of the tongueQ0, by means of a long pin 21. This pin likewise V pivots the end of thetongue proper. The running gear as so far described is the same as in myformer application, and serves the sameplu-pose, except for the t'actthat there is a similar con struction both at the front and rear ol thevehicle, and likewise there are' pivot axle Wheels for each end.

Two converging arms 2Q ot thc lplates 12 extend toward the body of thevehicle from the said plates, said arms joining together at their endsin a bifureated member 225, adapted to engage on each side ol' theconnecting rods (3 and 8 at each end ol' the vehicle. The connectingrods have flattened portions 24 to enter this bifurcated member, and arepivoted therein by means ot a pivot bolt 2.3. 4

As so far described, the mechanism shown will serve to draw the vehicleeither forwardly or rearwardly by means ol' a motor or other powervehicle suitably` attached to the tongue that. is connected to theplatel 12. by means of the long pin 21. As stated in in formerapplication, the trailer vehicle will follow properly and closely the,vehicle that is drawingl it, and thus` the trailer may be drawn eitherforwardly or rearwardly by disconnecting the long pins 21 from thetongue at the one end and coupling itI to the. similar construction atthe other end of thetrailer, and moving the motor vehicle around to saidother end so' as to couple it to the tonoue.

The trailer thus can be pulled out, of a, diiicult position by the.simple operation of uncoupling the tongue from one end and ',colupflingit; up to the other. Il'owever it is "necessary that the set olv wheelswhich occupy the position 'at the rear must always be locked to the thenrear axle, or the trailer could not be ctmvenielitly oll'i'erated at.all.

ccortli ng ,rly the flattened portions 24 and the bifuiiciited member 23have a second securingr bolt. The member 23 and the portio'n24 arepierced with a hole 24 at the side nearest the pivot point. of thebearin plate, and a securing bolt 26 ispassed :through said'member andportion. The bolt 26 is preferably tapering and has its head 27 locatedbeneath the memberl 23i The space is too constricted in the usualconstruction to permit of a suitable wrench being used on a nut on theunder side of the 'member 23, and accordingly the nt 28 for this bolt is4strewed onto the upper end thereol'. 'lhe head may be provided with asuitable aperture 2*.) to receive, a nail or )in to hohl the bolt steadywhile the nut is icing removed.

lt is believed clear that when the bolt :26 is in place. the steeringrodheld by it in addition to the pivot bolt 5 will not be eapable olanymovement to bring the wheels out oll a direct line with the body of thetrailer.

'lhus the operation ofthe new device is as l'ollows. [for ordinarydrivingr the tongue is mounted at the l'ront otE the trailer andconnected to the motor vehicle. The additional bolt 2u is mounted in itsproper in the rear, thereby loi-hing the rear w reels in properposition. lll the trailer aud drawing vehicle get into a place where thetrailer must be moved out lmekward, the long pin l al the. front is\\itlnlra\\'n l'roni engage,- ment with the tongue members and thetongue transferred to the rear. '.l`he locking bolt 2li is withdrawnl'rom the rear connectin;r rod and is inserted in the like position althe l'ront ol` the trailer. 'lhe motor vehicle is brought around totheback ol' the trailer aml coupled lo the tongue and then may draw thetrailer backward out. of its dillicult position.

.liv the simple mechanism now described, l am able to do away with theneeessity ol' complicated mechanism for steering the trailer vehicleimlependent of thc usual pulling tongue or draw bar and am able to movethe trailer backward as well as forward with equal power and without anymechanism that is dillicull el` operation and adjustment- 1 do not wishto be limited in the claims 'that follow to the exact structure,described in the foregoing speciiication, as the description refer-shutto the preferred form of my invention; on the contrary l wish to heentitled to the l'ull scopeA of the doctrine of eipiivalents in thcconstruction of my claims. Also l do not wish to be limited in my claimsbecause ol my l'ailure at this time 'to appreciate the full usefulnessof my invention,as I intend it to be used in the t'uture in any mannerthat may turn out to be economical and convenient, and that mere-mechanical changes necessary to adapt it to future uses be-fullyincluded in the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what 'If claim as new and desire toseure by Letters Patent, is:

1'. In a trailer Vehicle` pivot axle Wheels at both front and rear ofthe vehicle, a draw bar, a steering eonnectimr rod for each set ofwheels, u fifth Wheel p ate for each set of wheels, with pivotalconnection to its respective steering rod, and means for e011- nectingthe draw bar to eitherof said plates,

a projection on the steeringl rod connection place llt) i f 1,252,589 4d l evfth wheel, and a bolt for lookin Wheel plate for eaeh'axle, witha. king bolt the fi th*y Wheel plate to th'e steern rod o therefor,connecting rods for each set of said rojection' for either set of w eelsto Wheels, a pivot bolt for coupling the Ififth l hold t e wheels inline with the body of the Wheel plate to its respective connecting rod,

5 vehicle. and a removable bolt for locking either fifth 2. Ina, trailervehicle `pvot-axle Wheels at Wheel plate to its connectin rod. bothfront and rear of the vehicle, n' fifth JAC B KNAPP.

